Section 1: Need for achievement
Maximum score: 12
Average score: 9 My score: 11
Section 2: Need for autonomy and independance
Maximum score: 6
Average score: 4 My score: 3
Section 3: Creative tendency
Maximum score: 12
Average score: 8 My score: 10
Section 4: Moderate/calculated risk taking
Maximum score: 12
Average score: 8 My score: 7
Section 5: Drive and determination
Maximum score: 12
Average score: 8 My score: 6
When I took the Palgrave test I did not know what to expect, I can even admit that I was a little sceptic at first, but I am quite surprised with the result as they appear to be a good sum-up of some skills I have and some others I truly hope to get through learning and experience.
I will first analyse the sections in which my results are high, and then the sections which I would like to work on because I think they are essential skills that I would like to adopt or improve.
To begin with, when I look at section 1, I am quite surprised of the score. Indeed I know that achievement is very important to me but I had no idea that it took such a place. Moreover having a result of 11 when the maximum score is 12 means that it has an important impact in my life and I am pleased to see it as I will now focus on this aspect and try my best to satify this need.
According to me the skills that really match with my personnality and goal are:
-being rather optimistic than pessimistic
-forward looking
-restless and energetic
-persistent and determinated
As far as section 3 is concerned, I can see that there as well my result is pretty high as I have 10 and 12 is the maximum score. In my opinion this section is the most important one. Indeed the creative tendency is deeply rooted in my everyday life, as I enjoy making or creating my own universe (I have a tendency to daydream a lo, at home when I decorate my place, through day-dreaming and even on my clothes when I customize them). I have to admit that I really enjoyed seeing the result of this section.
The most important skills to me in this section are:
-being imaginative an innovative
-have a tendency to daydream
-being versatile and curious
-enjoy new challenge
I underscored in the other sections, nevertheless I really would appreciate improving section 5 as drive and determination are the key notions of entrepreunership. Indeed having ideas is not suffiscient to be a good entrepreuner or even creating new things, you have to find the spark that will enable you take the step forward.
In this section the qualities I wish to have are:
-being self confident
-show considerable determination
-discount fate
-believe in controlling my own destiny
I do not mind having low results in the two remaining other sections as they are not truly important to me and I do not see them as key factors in the development of my project or more generally in any work. These sections are moderate/calculate risk taking and need for autonomy and independance.
To my mind not being self governing and not being independant are not antonyms of entrepreneur as you can work in a team and produce an amazing work, I do not see team working as a handicap, on the contrary being too autonom can bring you down when you are stuck in your certainties. Being in relation with others can give you a fresh glance, a different vision and various solutions to any problem.
Risk taking is important when you are an entrepreneur but it is not the only key to success, actually being an entrepreneur is like a coktail, a mix of various, sometimes very different ingredients that you could not think of or even like, that makes in the end a real success.
2/Talent management
As I wrote before, what makes a good entrepreneur is the ingredients he or she is made of. As we all are made of different things due to cultural background, education, religion, country, experience we all are to be different entrepreneur, it is as a coktail. To my mind to compose a very tasty entrepreneur coktail, in addition to the skills seen in the test, I would add:
Other importants traits such as
-Open mindedness
-Innovation
-Ambition
-Non-conformism
-Passion
-Self-confidence
-Not being afraid of making mistakes (but quickly learn from them)
-Having a nerve (because a entrepreneur has to bring about his chance and not wait for it)
But also more educational skills such as
-Negotiation
-Accounting
-Marketing
-Maths in general
-Corporate and business law
-Information Technologies
Hopefully this coktail will succeed and let me be who I want to be. It has to be excellent from the inside with all those skills which are forces but also catch one's attention through self-confidence and the ability to be persuasive and make others (co workers, investors, and so on) trust any projects I come up with.
Entrepreneur Coktail
3/Research
It is very imprtant for entrepreneur to look around them, see how things evolve, being capable to adapt to a market, being able to see what has already been done and what has not.
As an entrepreneur one has to be very curious and eager to make the world move.
The two websites which I think are of interest for any upcoming entrepreneur are:
http://smallbiztrends.com/
This website is a goldmine! On this website you can find every single tool that will enable an entrepreneur to be better in what he is doing or just for new comers, as I am, to have a look at the rules, the trends, from the changes in law to market positionning to how to tweet better... You can find everything that deals with entrepreneurship and learn with passion as all the articles are really interesting and I really enjoyed the reading of them!
http://www.business-opportunities.biz/
What I really liked about this particular website is that you can read the story of people who started their businesses, I thought it was really motivating as some of the entrepreneur were just the average joe that came up with this brilliant idea inspired by something they could not find or was just missing in their everyday life so they decided to create it on their own! A great website due to the sharing of experiences, but also for those who do not have much ideas they provide you with some (items or even franchise ideas)
Of course if you do not have a clue of all the things you have to deal with when you start a business, you have to find a kind of entrepreneurship bible as bedtime story.
This website would be like entrepreneurship for non experts, which of course I do need! http://www.entrepreneur.com/
4/Picture search
An entrepreneur is someone who is willing to take upon herself or himself a new venture, enterprise or idea and accepts full responsibility for the outcom. If we think of this definition my picture would be one of a strong man capable of overcoming any situation and anything that might crop up. That is why when I saw the picture of famous Star Wars character Obi-wan Kenobi on bing with entrepreneur as key word it stroke me because it was was obvious that Obi-Wan is THE super entrepreneur! Indeed he is the wise man who has experienced a lot of things, who has learned from his mistakes but also from others'. Of course this is symbollic as I do not imagine all entrepreneurs as being old wise men but one of any age, any gender, with any imaginable educational background and from any possible culture. Anyhow the entrepreneur is to me like a Jedi. Moreover Jedis are fictional characters in Star Wars and the series' main protagonists. They use a quasi-telekinetic power known as the Force and swords to protect their galaxy and the Republic they serve from conflict and help to stabilize the government. They sometimes moderate peace talks between planets, and, if necessary, use their formidable fighting skills to quickly end a conflict. That could be, symbolically speaking, good skills for an entrepreneur. Indeed he will have to defend his idea, his beliefs and have a convincing force to make people support his project.
Obi-Wan Kenobi the Jedi entrepreneur
5/Personal Picture
To my mind, poker is a symbolic representation of two important skills required as an entrepreneur.
-Negotiation/Persuasion
-gambling on the future and on uncertainty
I also think that when you come up with something new, no one trusts you right from the start, you have to convince people, so according to me it is like in poker, sometimes you have to convince people that you are going to win and that you have better cards than others but they are not obliged to trust you. You have to be convinced yourself to be convincing and make others also believe that your project is a great one.
Entrepreneur Poker play
6/TrendWatching
As I went on Trendwatching I was looking for a trend related to my business idea, as I read each title it came to my mind that my project dealt with some of them such as generation G (as I intend to use recycled materials to create mine) but I saw "Innovation/Jubilation" which deals with the 50 business ideas that defy doom and gloom. It interested me and as I was reading I came on this category:
Serving well-established demographics (and their well-documented desires) in novel ways is an endless source of innovation. In fact, if your next trend brainstorm fails to produce a few smart new products for babies, teens, women, parents, gays, boomers and so on, then you might as well stop reading now: you will sadly never be a trend innovator. It just doesn’t come easier than this. A few spottings:
Publishing & personalization: Stickie Story is an interactive storybook from Argentina that allows kids to paste stickers with their own names and photos on the book’s pages as they follow along with the story.
This mix of trends that is Innovation but for kids is related to my own project with some differences of course as I only had an idea but no exprerience at all (unlike the inventors of this book who are professionals) but it still remains an innovation and the other ditinction is that it is not the same product as well even though mine can also be personalized as far as people can invent their own stories with teir child being the hero.
According to me making business with children can be an easy task because children speak their mind freely and they tell you what they want and if they like something or not with the greatest honnesty. With children there is no happy medium, it is either they like or hate it.
7/Next Practice not Best Practice
Here is a short list of what you can find on best practice explanation on the web:
░ A Best practice is the belief that there is a , method, process, activity, incentive or reward that is more effective at delivering a particular ...
░ A well defined procedure that is known to produce near-optimum results
░ A way or method of accomplishing a business function or process that is considered to be superior to all other known methods.
░ A technique or methodology that, through experience and research, has proven to reliably lead to a desired result.
░ Recommendations regarding processes or techniques for the use or implementation of products or services.
If we look at H Sherers Next practice and its particularities I really think they could all be applied to my business idea.
Indeed my business idea is fun but allows people to be fun by inventing far fetched stories, it is unique as the stories are made up by unique people according to their children's will, needs and creativity.
It will break pricing rules as my product will take already existing technologies mixed with recycled materials.
Story telling is the center of my product, that is why next practice does correspond to my business idea as it is for apply to current trends because people will be able to adapt their stories to trends (in cartoons, in playgrounds...) but revive old tradition is also possible because parents or children will able to tell ancient stories, fables and grand parents stories.
Individualize is the key concept of my product as every child will be able to be the hero of his stories. Special location does also correspond to my product as children can take it with them every where they will go.
8/Naked Pizza
Naked Pizza is a very original concept, indeed it takes one of the most eaten meal on earth and which has the worst reputation among dietecians, pizza, and turn it into a meal that is healthy, enjoyable and different. According to me it is an excellent idea, and in France Chefs of well known restaurants do have ideas that are a little bit the same when they turn a hamburger into a prestigious meal.
9/Core Competencies
The five core competencies that I think my team will have to cover are:
-Open mindedness
-Curiosity
-Creativity
-Good will
-Motivation
I also found three important competencies on Prasena generic dictionary which are:
->Having a good marketing strategy
->Being aware of ISO norms (indeed as it is a product for children there are a lot of rules to respect)
this is Zoe^s research page
ღღ My business project presentation at http://prezi.com/kdj-5zfobvko/edit/#1
ღღ Have a look at my Blog http://zoedubau.wordpress.com/
1/Seltest
Section 1: Need for achievement
Maximum score: 12
Average score: 9
My score: 11
Section 2: Need for autonomy and independance
Maximum score: 6
Average score: 4
My score: 3
Section 3: Creative tendency
Maximum score: 12
Average score: 8
My score: 10
Section 4: Moderate/calculated risk taking
Maximum score: 12
Average score: 8
My score: 7
Section 5: Drive and determination
Maximum score: 12
Average score: 8
My score: 6
When I took the Palgrave test I did not know what to expect, I can even admit that I was a little sceptic at first, but I am quite surprised with the result as they appear to be a good sum-up of some skills I have and some others I truly hope to get through learning and experience.
I will first analyse the sections in which my results are high, and then the sections which I would like to work on because I think they are essential skills that I would like to adopt or improve.
To begin with, when I look at section 1, I am quite surprised of the score. Indeed I know that achievement is very important to me but I had no idea that it took such a place. Moreover having a result of 11 when the maximum score is 12 means that it has an important impact in my life and I am pleased to see it as I will now focus on this aspect and try my best to satify this need.
According to me the skills that really match with my personnality and goal are:
-being rather optimistic than pessimistic
-forward looking
-restless and energetic
-persistent and determinated
As far as section 3 is concerned, I can see that there as well my result is pretty high as I have 10 and 12 is the maximum score. In my opinion this section is the most important one. Indeed the creative tendency is deeply rooted in my everyday life, as I enjoy making or creating my own universe (I have a tendency to daydream a lo, at home when I decorate my place, through day-dreaming and even on my clothes when I customize them). I have to admit that I really enjoyed seeing the result of this section.
The most important skills to me in this section are:
-being imaginative an innovative
-have a tendency to daydream
-being versatile and curious
-enjoy new challenge
I underscored in the other sections, nevertheless I really would appreciate improving section 5 as drive and determination are the key notions of entrepreunership. Indeed having ideas is not suffiscient to be a good entrepreuner or even creating new things, you have to find the spark that will enable you take the step forward.
In this section the qualities I wish to have are:
-being self confident
-show considerable determination
-discount fate
-believe in controlling my own destiny
I do not mind having low results in the two remaining other sections as they are not truly important to me and I do not see them as key factors in the development of my project or more generally in any work. These sections are moderate/calculate risk taking and need for autonomy and independance.
To my mind not being self governing and not being independant are not antonyms of entrepreneur as you can work in a team and produce an amazing work, I do not see team working as a handicap, on the contrary being too autonom can bring you down when you are stuck in your certainties. Being in relation with others can give you a fresh glance, a different vision and various solutions to any problem.
Risk taking is important when you are an entrepreneur but it is not the only key to success, actually being an entrepreneur is like a coktail, a mix of various, sometimes very different ingredients that you could not think of or even like, that makes in the end a real success.
2/Talent management
As I wrote before, what makes a good entrepreneur is the ingredients he or she is made of. As we all are made of different things due to cultural background, education, religion, country, experience we all are to be different entrepreneur, it is as a coktail. To my mind to compose a very tasty entrepreneur coktail, in addition to the skills seen in the test, I would add:
Other importants traits such as
-Open mindedness
-Innovation
-Ambition
-Non-conformism
-Passion
-Self-confidence
-Not being afraid of making mistakes (but quickly learn from them)
-Having a nerve (because a entrepreneur has to bring about his chance and not wait for it)
But also more educational skills such as
-Negotiation
-Accounting
-Marketing
-Maths in general
-Corporate and business law
-Information Technologies
Hopefully this coktail will succeed and let me be who I want to be. It has to be excellent from the inside with all those skills which are forces but also catch one's attention through self-confidence and the ability to be persuasive and make others (co workers, investors, and so on) trust any projects I come up with.
3/Research
It is very imprtant for entrepreneur to look around them, see how things evolve, being capable to adapt to a market, being able to see what has already been done and what has not.
As an entrepreneur one has to be very curious and eager to make the world move.
The two websites which I think are of interest for any upcoming entrepreneur are:
http://smallbiztrends.com/
This website is a goldmine! On this website you can find every single tool that will enable an entrepreneur to be better in what he is doing or just for new comers, as I am, to have a look at the rules, the trends, from the changes in law to market positionning to how to tweet better... You can find everything that deals with entrepreneurship and learn with passion as all the articles are really interesting and I really enjoyed the reading of them!
http://www.business-opportunities.biz/
What I really liked about this particular website is that you can read the story of people who started their businesses, I thought it was really motivating as some of the entrepreneur were just the average joe that came up with this brilliant idea inspired by something they could not find or was just missing in their everyday life so they decided to create it on their own! A great website due to the sharing of experiences, but also for those who do not have much ideas they provide you with some (items or even franchise ideas)
Of course if you do not have a clue of all the things you have to deal with when you start a business, you have to find a kind of entrepreneurship bible as bedtime story.
This website would be like entrepreneurship for non experts, which of course I do need!
http://www.entrepreneur.com/
4/Picture search
An entrepreneur is someone who is willing to take upon herself or himself a new venture, enterprise or idea and accepts full responsibility for the outcom. If we think of this definition my picture would be one of a strong man capable of overcoming any situation and anything that might crop up. That is why when I saw the picture of famous Star Wars character Obi-wan Kenobi on bing with entrepreneur as key word it stroke me because it was was obvious that Obi-Wan is THE super entrepreneur! Indeed he is the wise man who has experienced a lot of things, who has learned from his mistakes but also from others'. Of course this is symbollic as I do not imagine all entrepreneurs as being old wise men but one of any age, any gender, with any imaginable educational background and from any possible culture. Anyhow the entrepreneur is to me like a Jedi. Moreover Jedis are fictional characters in Star Wars and the series' main protagonists. They use a quasi-telekinetic power known as the Force and swords to protect their galaxy and the Republic they serve from conflict and help to stabilize the government. They sometimes moderate peace talks between planets, and, if necessary, use their formidable fighting skills to quickly end a conflict. That could be, symbolically speaking, good skills for an entrepreneur. Indeed he will have to defend his idea, his beliefs and have a convincing force to make people support his project.
5/Personal Picture
To my mind, poker is a symbolic representation of two important skills required as an entrepreneur.
-Negotiation/Persuasion
-gambling on the future and on uncertainty
I also think that when you come up with something new, no one trusts you right from the start, you have to convince people, so according to me it is like in poker, sometimes you have to convince people that you are going to win and that you have better cards than others but they are not obliged to trust you. You have to be convinced yourself to be convincing and make others also believe that your project is a great one.
6/TrendWatching
As I went on Trendwatching I was looking for a trend related to my business idea, as I read each title it came to my mind that my project dealt with some of them such as generation G (as I intend to use recycled materials to create mine) but I saw "Innovation/Jubilation" which deals with the 50 business ideas that defy doom and gloom. It interested me and as I was reading I came on this category:
Serving well-established demographics (and their well-documented desires) in novel ways is an endless source of innovation. In fact, if your next trend brainstorm fails to produce a few smart new products for babies, teens, women, parents, gays, boomers and so on, then you might as well stop reading now: you will sadly never be a trend innovator. It just doesn’t come easier than this. A few spottings:
This mix of trends that is Innovation but for kids is related to my own project with some differences of course as I only had an idea but no exprerience at all (unlike the inventors of this book who are professionals) but it still remains an innovation and the other ditinction is that it is not the same product as well even though mine can also be personalized as far as people can invent their own stories with teir child being the hero.
According to me making business with children can be an easy task because children speak their mind freely and they tell you what they want and if they like something or not with the greatest honnesty. With children there is no happy medium, it is either they like or hate it.
7/Next Practice not Best Practice
Here is a short list of what you can find on best practice explanation on the web:If we look at H Sherers Next practice and its particularities I really think they could all be applied to my business idea.
Indeed my business idea is fun but allows people to be fun by inventing far fetched stories, it is unique as the stories are made up by unique people according to their children's will, needs and creativity.
It will break pricing rules as my product will take already existing technologies mixed with recycled materials.
Story telling is the center of my product, that is why next practice does correspond to my business idea as it is for apply to current trends because people will be able to adapt their stories to trends (in cartoons, in playgrounds...) but revive old tradition is also possible because parents or children will able to tell ancient stories, fables and grand parents stories.
Individualize is the key concept of my product as every child will be able to be the hero of his stories. Special location does also correspond to my product as children can take it with them every where they will go.
8/Naked Pizza
Naked Pizza is a very original concept, indeed it takes one of the most eaten meal on earth and which has the worst reputation among dietecians, pizza, and turn it into a meal that is healthy, enjoyable and different. According to me it is an excellent idea, and in France Chefs of well known restaurants do have ideas that are a little bit the same when they turn a hamburger into a prestigious meal.
9/Core Competencies
The five core competencies that I think my team will have to cover are:
-Open mindedness
-Curiosity
-Creativity
-Good will
-Motivation
I also found three important competencies on Prasena generic dictionary which are:
->Having a good marketing strategy
->Being aware of ISO norms (indeed as it is a product for children there are a lot of rules to respect)